


when the dancing is done

by Shewolf_of_highgarden



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chaos, Family Fluff, Gen, arya does ballet, family friends, may turn romantic eventually, were not there yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-13 00:25:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18457718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shewolf_of_highgarden/pseuds/Shewolf_of_highgarden
Summary: Arya has been in dance she was four and has spent years being shuttled to and from by just about everyone she knows. Sometimes it goes better than others.





	when the dancing is done

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is just a group of fun one shots in a modern au. While it is centered around the people who pick Arya up from dance, the focus isn't really on dance...  
> For this chapter:  
> \- so while this is a modern au i kept the idea of kings and councils because i did not feel like doing a complete   
>  overhaul of politics.   
> \- Elia and Rhaegar are still married, but mostly due to political reasons. She may or may not be in a secret   
>  relationship with Arthur Dayne, that doesnt really matter but i thought i'd bring it up.  
> \- Rhaegar had a consensual affair with Lyanna resulting in Jon 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy :D

This was not breaking and entering.

This was not breaking and entering.

Lyanna had given him a key long ago and maybe she had forgotten she had, but that did not really matter. What mattered was she was not picking up his calls and he could not get in touch with Jon. He had a right to know where his son was. Was Rhaegar a perfect father? Ye-well-maybe not, but he tried hard to be there for his children. He was better than his own father by a long shot. His father had been a distant man obsessed with controlling his wife, children, and country. Rhaegar was not sure if the old bastard even had a soul. Rhaegar is not around all of the time, true, but it was not because he wanted to be gone all the time. Before he had all of his touring for his harp and once Father had died, Rhaegar had taken over the political responsibilities, he was busy.

All he wanted to do was to see his son. He tried to see Jon as much as possible, but it was always difficult. Between work and Rhaenys and Aegon and Viserys and Daenerys and Elia and Lyanna’s ability to disappear on a whim, he never seemed to find the right time. He was determined to see his son, though, so this morning he called the doorman of the building where Lyanna’s penthouse was. According to him she was still in the country and Jon was with her as well. Jon spent large portions of his time in the North with Lyanna’s family, but since Eddard Stark had taken a seat on the great council, he had been in the South more or at least that was what Rhaegar was told.

Aegon had mentioned seeing Jon more last they spoke, though Jon did not mention it when Rhaegar managed to get his youngest on the phone. Jon had been more excited to talk about how he was getting to squire for Arthur Dayne than where he was staying the majority of the time. Honestly, he did not think he had ever heard Jon speak so much before Arthur had agreed to let the boy be a squire. Jon tended towards quiet introspection rather than loud or rash conversations. He got that from Rhaegar. Lyanna had always had a bright flame of a temper and a type of recklessness that never really died down. It what was what drew him to her and what would eventually help to drive them apart.

That and the fact that he still had a wife and two children who he did not plan on abandoning.

Sometimes he thought Elia wished he would have.

Elia, to her credit, never made him as if he was breaking or entering into her home…though they shared that home most of the time, so that may have had something to do with it.

Lyanna gave him this key, though, so it was fine.

Completely fine.

“Hey! You can’t come in here!”

Or not.

Rhaegar looked down to see a pint-sized Lyanna glaring up at him. A pint-sized Lyanna wearing a little black skirted leotard and ballet flats and brandishing a cooking knife.

He was not sure what to worry about first. The fact that a little girl was holding a sharp object or that Lyanna had another child and never told him.

Was she his?

She had to be from the way she looked. She was almost a perfect female copy of Jon. The differences were mild at most. Her nose was a little more upturned, her cheeks gave more of a promise of becoming prominent, and she was slightly fairer. She got all of those qualities from him; he was sure. The little upturn in her nose reminded him of Mother and the creases between her brows as she glared at him was all Viserys. This girl had to be his.

A Visenya.

The Visenya he thought was Jon was going to be.

And Lyanna did not even tell him…

“I’m looking for your mother…she gave me a key and everything.” Rhaegar explains.

The girl continued to glare at him, holding up the knife in front of her. It’s not very large, one of the ones used for cutting fruit or small potatoes, but its shard enough to hurt. She chewed her lip, considering him.

“My name is Rhaegar. What’s your name?”

The girl’s eyes light up in recognition at the name.

“Your Jon’s daddy.” She said, lowing the knife. He was unsure if he was telling that to him or herself, but he decided to take it as a good sign.

“I am. Who are you?”

“I’m Arya! I’m four.”

Four…four still put him in the running for father. He and Lyanna had taken a while to fully fizzle out, even when they were done there had been a few times when he gave in to temptation. Granted it had been years since they last slept together, but only four or five. That was certainly enough time.

But why didn’t Jon tell him? Why didn’t Jon tell Rhaenys or Aegon? Maybe Lyanna forced him to keep the secret or lied about who the father was to him. What kind of mother lied to her son about who the father of his sister was? Lyanna honestly shocked him at times.

“Wow, you’re a big girl huh? Is that why you have the knife?”

Arya shook her head, her bun somehow staying on her head, “No, I have the knife for if a bad guy comes.”

“What would you do if a bad guy comes?”

“Jon said to stick ‘em with the pointy end.”

Great job Jon, really.

“Ah, well, that was good advice. Are you here alone?”

Arya nodded, “Mmmhm. I supposed to hold down the fork like a big girl.”

“Do you mean hold down the fort?”

“No.” Arya says with a look that seemed to ask him just how much intelligence he lacked. That came from Lyanna.

“Where’s your mother?”

“I dunno,’ the girl said with a shrug.

“Do you know when she’s coming back?”

“I dunno,”

“How long have you been alone here?”

“Forever and ever and ever,’ Arya said with a dramatic sigh, ‘we were ‘possed to take me to get ice-cream.”  

Only Lyanna. Honestly who leaves a child alone in an apartment before even carrying out a promise?

Not Rhaegar. He would never.

Maybe that one time he misplaced Aegon at the symphony, but that was better than breaking such a promise.

He could make this right, however. He would take Arya to get ice-cream and by the time they returned Lyanna would probably (hopefully) be back. Then she would see how he has already connected to Arya and is obviously a fit guardian. They would also talk about why she decided to keep something as monumental as a second child from him. She would be awash with guilt, of course.

“I will take you to get ice-cream.” He offered, giving his winning smile.

Arya looked less than convinced, “I’m not supposed to go with strangers.”

“I’m not a stranger, though, remember? I’m Jon’s father. Do you know Aegon and Rhaenys? I’m their father too.”

“I’m supposed to watch the fork.”

“I’m sure it will be okay for a while. We will not be gone long and I saw a parlor close by. I’ll get you two scoops.”

The promise of two scoops seems to win her over as her grey eyes light up. She only takes a moment more of consideration before she goes from chewing her lip to grinning widely at him.

“Hold on.” She told him before racing further into the penthouse.

He should have remembered to take the knife from her.

She returned quickly and free of stab wounds, knife still in hand with a plush wolf under her arm. She set the wolf down in the space she previously occupied before setting the knife under a plush paw.

“You guard the house, Nym.”

…

Arya is a bright girl. She got that from him, though her talkative nature must come from Lya. She tells him all about her class over the promised two scoops of ice cream (with sprinkles) from a parlor down the street. She tells him about the upcoming recital, how she doesn’t like her custom since it’s too pink, how Jon is supposed to come watch her dance. She tells him about school as well. She attends kindergarten at the same private girl’s school that Rhaenys and Dany attend, Mother’s Mercy Academy. Tells him about all of the friends she has made there.

Eventually he finished his scoop of lavender icecream and Arya has finished devouring and half-covering herself in chocolate and cookie-dough. He tried to help her get it off best he could with napkins, but luckily the house is nearby and she can get cleaned up when they get back to the penthouse.

When they returned the door was ajar, muffled voices coming out the apartment. Lyanna must have returned.

“I ran out for a _minute_ , ten tops, I promise,’ Lyanna was yelling, ‘I needed to pick up garlic bread for dinner and the lasagna was in the oven.”

Maybe icecream had not been a good idea. Rhaegar had not even thought about the girl eating dinner later, but he stands by his actions. Lyanna never should have left their daughter alone in the first place.

“You didn’t think to turn it off and take her with you?” a high-pitched voice screamed in reply; voice full of venom.

Rhaegar almost flinched at the venom in that voice. Arya, however, had no such issues. Instead she quickly slipped her hand out of his and ran through the door with a call of “Mummy!”

Rhaegar steps through the door as some insult is cut short by a gust of air. A auburn haired woman stood close to Lyanna, the anger emanating off her was quite impressive. At the “mummy” however she froze where she was sticking her finger in Lyanna’s face. She turned suddenly to look at Arya and let out a chocked gasp.

She bent down to the girl’s level with open arms, “Arya! Come here, sweetling.”

“Oh, thank the gods.” Lyanna said, slumping into the chair behind her.

“Call the cops back Ned, she’s here,’ the woman called into the kitchen.

By the end of the sentence typically stoic Eddard Stark rushed into the room. He took one look at the woman and child and scooped them both into a hug.

After a moment he cupped the girl’s cheek, “Arya, sweet girl, you gave us the frights of our life. You know better than to leave by yourself.”

“I didn’t go by myself,’ Arya said before pointing to where Rhaegar stood, ‘Jon’s daddy took me to get icecream. He got me _two_ scoops with _sprinkles_!”

All heads in the room turned to stare at Rhaegar. He did not appreciate all of the accusations in their eyes. All he did was buy Arya icecream, its not as if he was the one to leave a four-year-old all alone. Its not as if he wanted to kidnap her, he brought her back!

Lyanna was out of her chair in an instant, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Wrong with me? Me? First of all, who left Arya all alone in the first place? Who failed to tell me we have a daughter?”

Lyanna just stared at him. Ned Stark just stared at him. The woman he guessed was Catelyn Tully stared at him. Arya busied herself with trying to get some of the chocolate off of her fingers.

“You think Arya is your daughter?”

“Of course, I do! She looks just like Jon. I even see bits of Mother in her.”

The are-you-stupid look that Arya gave him earlier definitely came from Lyanna. Judging by Ned’s face it must be something that every Stark received at birth. Some families passed down eye-colors or ears, the Starks passed down the ability to judge everyone at any age apparently.

“No, Rhaegar. Arya is Ned and Cat’s daughter.” Lyanna hissed gesturing to where Catelyn held her daughter close.

Looking at them, Rhaegar could see the resemblance. The little features he had dubbed Targaryen seemed to be Tully. Arya and Catelyn even glared the same way.

“So, we don’t have a daughter you never told me about?”

“No, stupid dragon, we don’t.”

_Fuck._  

 

 

 


End file.
